With Hurricane Irene fast approaching, we thought everyone could use a brief refresher on how to prepare for the safety of your pet before, during and after a storm! 

Great weather IS a great time for everybody to go out of doors. Not just people but pets as well. You could do all sorts of fun activities outdoors such as camping, swimming, hiking or even sailing. While going on these activities it would be great if you can bring your dogs along right? You can have so much fun with your pet during a boating activity and your dog in turn will have lots of fun in this adventure also. Nowadays lots of dog owners are already bringing their dogs out to sea with them.

While it is great to be able to bring your dog out on a boat to go sailing, it would be best if you can think about some safety precautions as well to avoid instances of drowning and other dog accidents on board a boat that might possibly ruin what is supposed to be a great day out on sea.

Here are a few important points to consider when planning a boat ride with your dogs:

1. If you are planning on doing a little fishing while going on a boat adventure with your dog, be sure to keep all of your fishing gear in a safe place that is unreachable by your dog. Dogs are curious about everything so he might get a little bit curious of the bait and hooks and possibly hurt himself while checking those things out. This could really hurt your dog.
2. Make sure that your dog has his own retreat place for when the sun is too hot for him. Bring along his water bowl and lots of fresh water also for him to drink. Dogs do get dehydrated and in order to avoid this, he will need access to fresh water all the time. Don’t let your dog drink lots of salt water. This is not a good thing for him.
3. Once you get your dog on board the boat, you have to be able to watch him especially when the boat is moving. If this is your dog’s first time, he might get antsy or nervous so it is important to be there to soothe the dog if he is scared. You would want him to enjoy his sailing experience and not the opposite. If after the first time, he is still scared of the boat then it might be a good idea to leave him home the next time that you go boating. You can always try again at other times to get your dog to come boating and be more comfortable with sailing.
4. It is very important that when your dog is out at sea that you equip him with a PFD (Pet Flotation Device). Regardless if your dog’s breed is adept at water and no matter your dogs’ size, you should make them wear the PFD. This will also help to lessen anxiety on your part. The PFD is really helpful especially if your dog goes overboard accidentally then this will really help. Even if your dog loves the water, the sea is a very different environment compared to a pool or tub and dogs sometimes don’t realize this so a PFD really comes in handy.
5. Understand that your dog does not have protection on his paws. The boat’s deck might be too hot for his paws so do check out the temperature of the boats’ deck periodically.
6. When you go boating and want to check out an island then be on the lookout for your dog too. You have to remember that he is not wearing any protection on his paws and he might get stung by crabs or other sharp things on the beach that might hurt him and ruin his experience. Please also be a good pet owner and make sure that when your dog poos, that you pick it up and dispose of his waste properly.
7. Set some limits on the time that your dog spends playing on sand and swimming in the sea. Don’t let him get too exhausted.

The tips are just some of the ways that you can make your boating experience with your dog more enjoyable and safe and free of any anxiety and bad experiences. After all you would want to have a really great time with your dog out on the sea and give him a wonderful time as well with you.

Courtesy of Porch Potty :)

Fact: About 40 percent of feline cases at Pet Poison Helpline involved cats that improperly ingested human or veterinary drugs.

Worst offenders: OTC medications like acetaminophen (e.g., Tylenol), ibuprofen (e.g., Advil, Motrin, etc.), naproxen (e.g., Aleve, Motrin, etc.), chewable veterinary NSAIDS (e.g., carprofen, deracoxib, etc.).

Threat to cats:

• Cats have difficulty metabolizing certain drugs, especially as compared to dogs and humans.
• Common drugs such as NSAIDS are some of the most deadly to cats. When ingested, NSAIDS can result in severe kidney failure and stomach ulcers.
• One acetaminophen tablet can be fatal to a cat, as it results in damage to red blood cells.
• Cats also seem to like the taste of certain antidepressants (e.g., Effexor), which seem to contain an attractive smell or flavor in the coating. With any accidental medication ingestion, immediate veterinary care is imperative.

Signs: With NSAID toxicity, vomiting (including bloody vomit), lethargy, increased thirst and urination, and halitosis can be seen. With acetaminophen, a swollen face, difficulty breathing, yellow gums, weakness, paleness (secondary to a severe anemia), and death may be seen. With certain antidepressants, severe agitation, tail twitching, ear flicking, aggression, tremors, and seizures can be observed.

Treatment: Prompt decontamination with emesis (vomiting) induction and activated charcoal. Pet owners should never attempt emesis induction at home with cats, as nothing is effective and safe for at-home emesis induction. Veterinary attention for prompt decontamination with emesis (vomiting) induction and activated charcoal is imperative. Aggressive IV fluids (to protect the kidneys), frequent blood work monitoring (to check the kidney and liver function), anti-vomiting medication, an antidote called n-acetylcysteine (for acetaminophen toxicity), hepatoprotectants, muscle relaxants, and anti-convulsants may be necessary.

Prognosis: Excellent if cats are treated before signs begin. Once kidney or liver failure develop, the prognosis is much worse. With any poisoning, prompt therapy is always necessary to increase the survival to our feline patients.

*Information courtesy of Poison Help Line

Here is a great recipe for Organic Dog Cookies!  Your furry friends will be sure to love you for this!

Preheat oven to 325 Degrees and lightly grease cookie tray.

• 10 cups organic rye flour
• 6 cups organic barley flour
• 8 ounces organic apple puree
• 2 tablespoons organic cinnamon
• 6 cups of water may vary a bit depending on weather

2. Mix all together, roll out to desired thickness, cut into bone shape biscuit, cookie shape, vegetable or shape of your choice. Place on lightly greased tray. For a shiny biscuit, brush with an egg wash (1 egg mixed with 1 teaspoon of water)

3. Place in pre-heated 325 degree oven and bake for 20 to 25 minutes. Cooking time will vary depending on how thick or thin you roll out the dough.

4. Cool thoroughly and store in cookie jar, no refrigeration needed. Throughly baked they store for a very long time and usually last for a full year.

Yield is about 5 pounds of treats / biscuits / cookies. Number of treats vary depending on the size and shape that are cut, and how thick or thin you roll out the dough. Your dogs will love you even more! And the whole house smells great while you are baking these! Enjoy.

Travel & Boarding Checklist 

1)  Are your pet's vaccinations current?

2)  Do you have a copy of the vaccinations with you while you are away or for the boarding facility?

3)  Do your travel plans with your pet change your pet's risk for disease from parasites?

4)  Is your pet microchipped and is the information with your vet and microchipping company current?

5)  Does traveling or boarding stress your pet? 

6)  Do you have enough of your pet's medications to last the entire trip? 

Extra Tips for Travel

* bring your pet's favorite bedding or toy along with you so that if you are away from your pet briefly, he or she is at ease with something familiar

* bring plenty of drinking water (reusable containers work well), and don't forget that your pets drinking and eating habits may vary during travel

* bring along enough of your pet's food from home to avoid stomach upset from switching foods during an already stressful situation

* leash walk your pet when you are away from home so that he or she doesn't get spooked in an unfamiliar area

* when boarding your pet, be prepared to provide emergency contact information to your pet's caregiver

Our bulletin board boasts many options for cat and/or kitten adoptions.  Spring in for details or call 352-787-8533